This invention relates to stereoscopic viewers of the type having two eyepieces for helping an observer to combine the images of two pictures taken from laterally spaced points of view a little way apart and to thus provide a three-dimensional effect. More particularly, this invention relates to stereoscopic viewers of the type described which are foldable so as to facilitate storage and the like.
A stereoscopic viewer is an optical instrument for obtaining from two pictures, such as photographs made from points of view typically corresponding to the position of an observer's two eyes, a single three-dimensional image by means of two lenses used one with each eye and set to deflect rays coming from corresponding points in the two pictures in such a manner as to produce the effect of coming from a single point.
Stereoscopic viewers have long been in existence. Older viewers have been generally of a rigid and cumbersome construction, while modern viewers are more compact and are capable of being folded. Some of these modern viewers are shown and described in Catalog No. 14 published in 1992 by Reel 3-D Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 2368, Culver City, Calif. 80231.
However, none of the prior art viewers have the particular structural features of the present invention, as will be discerned from the description thereof which follows.